1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personal audio devices such as wireless telephones, and more specifically, to calibration of sidetone in a personal audio device.
2. Background of the Invention
Telephones, such as mobile/cellular telephones and other devices in which users need to hear their own voice during use are increasing in prevalence. The injection of the user's own voice into a transducer output to which the user is listening is referred to in telephony as sidetone. Speech recognition and the increasing dependence on mobile devices with earphones or earbuds ensures that sidetone will remain an important feature of such devices.
Sidetone is desirably presented so that the user's voice is heard by the user in the headphones or other transducer, as if the transducer and housing is not covering the ear. Due to the obstruction provided by the transducer and housing, one or both ears may be partially or totally blocked, distorting and attenuating the user's voice in the ambient acoustic environment. Therefore, sidetone has been provided to remedy the problem. However, present-day sidetone does not always provide a natural sound, especially under changing transducer type, position and other environmental factors.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide techniques for improving the quality of sidetone provided in personal audio devices.